Because I Love You

I'm skipping my workout today because I really wanted to get a post out today, and I know for a fact that Phil will frown upon my blogging tonight when there are travel preparations to be made. We leave for Florida in the wee small hours of the morning tomorrow (or is it tonight?), and I've yet to pack, pluck or panic.

Rest assured, I HAVE given some thought to what knitting I want to bring with me (after all, a girl's got to have priorities, right?).

Naturally, I'll be bringing my current sock project, Fratello. As of this morning's session, I've turned the heel and have worked about 2/3 of the way up the leg on the first sock. No recent pictures of course (I really should have a camera with me at all times), but trust me when I say it's looking wonderful. A real beaut.

But that can't be ALL I bring with me, right? Yes, I'm fully aware of the fact that as a rule, I always overpack and greatly over-estimate the amount of actual knitting time I'll get when we travel. I think it's the fact that we're travelling sans kids. It just opens up SO. MUCH. Free time, you know?

So I need another project. And since I finished my Clapotis on Sunday night (but it's not blocked yet), I can cast on for something shiny and new.

I know what you're thinking. Colette, right? Well, that's what I was leaning towards too, but after swatching last week I realized that, much to my chagrin, I don't have the appropriate needle size in my Giant Bag O'Needles. I need a 4.25 mm, 60 cm circular, and all I've got is a 91 cm, which is too effin' long. Drat! Foiled again!

So what? I went over my Ravelry queue, and a few projects popped up and said "Howdy! Pick me! Pick me!".

First among the potentials is the BYOB pattern from the Summer 2008 Knitty (also available as a free Ravelry download). I really like this pattern, it says "beach bag" to me, and I've got some leftover CotLin from Émilie's Good Stripe Dress I can use. Yes, CotLin is a DK weight and not an aran like the pattern calls for, but it's a BAG. I'm thinking fit won't really be an issue.

Another pattern that jumped out at me is the Very Berry T-Shirt, originally published in the now defunct MagKnits and also available as a free Ravelry download. I've got some Katia Jamaica cotton in the stash that I could use for this project, a few people have used the same yarn and I liked the results alot.

The third potential project, Inga's Haekelbeutel bag, is another foray into crochet, using the same yarn. I haven't done anything in crochet in a while, so I think it'd be fun. But I also don't relish the idea of assembling all those squares together...

So what do you think? Best be on the safe side and pack for all 3, right? Plus maybe an extra sock project, just in case.... That's what I thought.

Happy Knitting Everyone! The next post will be from sunny Florida.

Call me Lydia

You guys don't know this about me, but I'm a bit of a movie nut. Not only do I love movies, but I also have a knack for remembering actors, directors, dialogue... even composers! It's a useful skill during trivia games, but it also means that I often equate a particular situation or event in "real life" with scenes from movies.

For instance, when Phil and I were staring at a wall of fireworks we were thinking about buying a few years ago. When I spotted one that looked particularly explosive, I immediately thought of Sid, the mean next door neighbour in Toy Story, unpacking his long awaited rocket, which he planned on strapping on Buzz Lightyear, and said "Ex-tre-me-ly dan-ge-rous. Keep Out of Reach Of Children".

Or when the attendant was giving me attitude at the gas station one time, and I immediately thought of The Terminator, searching for appropriate responses to a nosy neighbour complaning about the smell emanating from his room. In my best Schwarzenegger voice I said "F*#$ You, A$$hole" and drove off.

To his credit, Phil immediately got the references on both occasions (and many, maaaany others) and we both collapsed into heaps of laugther. To this day, we STILL laugh at those jokes.

All that to say that it's not surprising that last week's adventures remind me of a movie. This time it's The Fisher King, one of my favourite Terry Gilliam films. In it, Robin Williams plays a former psychiatrist turned homeless man who'se head over heels in love with Amanda Plummer's Lydia. On their first date, at a Chinese restaurant, so happy is he that he bursts into song, and what should he sing her but a song Groucho Marx made famous, called "Lydia the Tattooed Lady".

I've wanted a tattoo for quite some time now. I had originally planned for it to be a 30th birthday to myself (I'll be 33 in June), but wasn't quite sure what design I wanted. Then I got pregnant with Maxime, so I let it go for a while. A few months ago the idea came back into my head, and this time it just wouldn't go away, so I started researching designs. I knew I wanted something involving a tree, something positive and that spoke of unity and uniqueness and strength. I chose a Celtic Tree of Life, and I was particularly inspired by Jen Delyth's print.

Not your typical choice for a "first" tattoo. As my tattoo artist Jeff said "This ain't no rosebud". And I love it. It just represents everything I'm trying to personify in my life, and I'm so glad to have this process I've been on permanently marked in my skin.

Let me just point out that Kate-the-Enabler came with me to hold my hand and keep me entertained during the 2.5 hours it took to get this bad boy done. Isn't she just the greatest?

Now, before you all get in a huff about me keeping this under wraps for a week, I'll just remind you that Phil was out of town last week on business. No, I didn't get this done on the sly! He knew I was getting a tattoo, and he had seen the design. But he still wanted to see it "in person" rather than seeing pictures on the blog. I'm sure you understand.

So there you go! Call me Lydia, for I am now a tattooed lady. I appreciate that body art isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I just hope you understand that, for me, this tattoo IS the embodiement of a very special journey I've been on over the past few months, as a woman, as a person, as a wife and mother. Believe me when I say that there IS no bad here. :)

Back to knitting next post!

This time next week...

I'll be in Florida! And not a moment too soon, either. Phil's out of town on business this week, and all I can say is Single Mother + Working Full Time + Caring For 2 Kids = Hard Work. It'll be nice to get away (I know, I just got back from Paris) and spend some time with Phil, and enjoy the beach...

Mmmmm, the beach. That reminds me, I really must get to shopping for a new bathing suit and shorts and the like, because my size 14 threads just won't cut it anymore, me thinks.

I'm still basking in the glow of finally getting the Pacific Islands stole off the needles and blocked. I'll post proper pictures of the entire oeuvre this weekend, I promise. I really want to show this off properly, and to take halfway decent pictures, I need natural light.

It's nice to be able to knit whatever the heck I feel like again, that's for sure. I worked on my Fratello sock last night, and I'm still as smitten as ever (and I've got the blue fingers to prove it!).

I suppose I should really put in a few nights on my Clapotis and get that off the needles as well, but a part of me wants to save it for plane knitting next week. I don't know, it just seems appropriate, especially since it was cast on during the flight to Paris in January.

I've decided to treat myself to an actual garment for my next project. I bought the pattern for Colette yesterday, and I'm really looking forward to casting on. I've got to restrain myself though, because I've got a feeling that once I start, I'll be dooming all other WIPs to the bottom of the knitting basket. Maybe I'll just knit a swatch tonight...

Looking at the pattern, I'm a bit concerned about the sizing, though. Even though I measure as a 34 inch bust at the gym (you know, when my boobs are smooshed in one of those über-flattering sports bras?), I consider myself to have a 36 inch bust. Now, the sizes for Colette are either for a 34 or 38 inch bust. I think a 38 inch bust would have too much yield, right? And with the yarn being 50% bamboo, it'll tend to stretch anyway, so I'm thinking I should go for the 34 inch bust. Hmmm, will ponder some more.

Oh! Before I forget, Cynthia nominated me for a blog award! Yay!!! Blogger recognition! Thanks, sweetie!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Here are my nominees:

My Pod 2
Knitterings
Knit, Inc
Handmade by Jennifer
Knit & Purl Mama (yes, I know Cynthia nominated her already. I don't care. It's my blog and I can do what I want)
Destroy my Sweater
Sereknitty Rules!
A la maille suivante

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Drama Unfolding

I know the suspense is killing you, so before I get on with the topic of tonight's post, let me just confirm right now that I did indeed finish the Pacific Islands stole on Friday night. I blocked it today, and it's looking fabulous, if I do say so myself. Here's a taste.

But before I get to that, I want to tell you about our trip to the Montreal Botanical Gardens this morning, specifically to see the Papillons en Liberté (Butterflies Go Free) exhibit. It's become something of a "thing" in Montreal, a Spring tradition, right up there with the Sugar Shack. We've gone almost every year since I was pregnant with Émilie, in 2004.

It's a lot of fun, and always draws quite the crowd (especially on a Sunday), so we arrived as soon as it opened, so as to be able to really take our time and enjoy the butterflies.

OK, now something you need to know right now: butterflies are like lap dancers. They can touch you, but you can't touch them.

Now, this wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that, as you know, Émilie has quite a thing for bugs, as seen on many, many occasions in this blog (like here, and here). There are signs everywhere, and an audio message when you come in to the greenhouse: DON'T TOUCH THE BUTTERFLIES.

So... do you think that stopped my little entomologist? Um....

Of course it didn't. But what I want you to focus on in this picture isn't the fact that Émilie's in clear violation of the whole "Do Not Touch The Butterflies" rule. No, it's the 2 security guards in the background. See them? Wait, how about here...

See him now? Also note how he's giving me the look, after giving Émilie a stern warning that she's not to touch the butterflies.

Well, you can guess what happened next, right?

Aaaaaww. She was heartbroken that she couldn't touch them. She's actually quite delicate with them, but as we explained to her (repeatedly), rules are rules. (By the way, does the fact that this pictures totally cracks me up make me a bad parent? Just wondering...)

The rest of the visit went well, don't worry. The kids really enjoyed it, even loved walking around the rest of the greenhouse, seeing the plants from various climates.

(I love it when they get along like this)

The orchids are my favourite part of the Botanical Gardens.

Daddy and Maxime enjoying the waterfall.

By the way, my cousin Jessica was with us, but unfortunately, most of the pictures we've got with her in them are either unflattering or have Émilie picking her nose or something equally undignified...

The rest of the day was spent in typical DORMA fashion. I'd say I got everything essential I needed to get done done (food, laundry, plants), but as always, things I'd have liked to get done were set aside (ironing, eyebrows...).

When the food was done and Maxime was still sleeping, I had some time to pin out the stole. Here are a few pictures, Knitspot style...

And the money shot...

In the immortal words of Stevie Wonder: Isn't she lovely? I wasn't able to take any pictures of it unpinned, but trust me when I say it's truly beautiful, Maggie's magnificent yarn was perfect for the project, and I'm going to have a bitch of a time giving this one up. But as Phil says: this is a 5-day, all expenses paid trip to Florida we're getting in exchange, so I just need to suck it up.

All right, I'm off to get ready for another week. Happy Knitting Everyone!

ps: Psssst! In case you were wondering whether Émilie's entire butterfly experience was completely ruined by the tears and drama you glimpsed earlier.... This was taken right before we left. It TOTALLY landed on her. Honest.

T-Minus

So last night, after putting the kids to bed, the plan was to watch a few episodes of Bones and put in my 21 rows. Phil was having some friends over to play pinball, so I had an entire evening of TV and knitting stretched out before me.

Putting Maxime down was a breeze, as always. Émilie however, being in the throes of what I can only pray is the peak of the Electra complex (apparently the Oedipus complex only applies to boys), was another matter entirely. I tell you, she pitched a FIT the likes of which I have rarely seen when Daddy didn't come to put her to bed. Honestly, I half expected her head to turn 360 degrees or for her to vomit pea soup or... something! Never mind that I've been reading her her bedtime story and putting her to bed for her entire life. Nooooo, only Daddy would do.

I didn't give in of course. I figured I needed to nip this behaviour in the bud. But wow, that was trying on Mommy's patience.

When she was finally in bed, I came back downstairs, cleaned up a bit, and sat at the computer to burn the episodes I had downloaded onto a DVD. While I waited, I logged onto Facebook to check my messages, and chatted with a friend for a while. Before I knew it, it was 8:50.

"Aaack! I think. My 21 rows!!" I log off, sit down with my knitting, and one of Phil's friends comes up to shoot the breeze. Turns out he's going to Paris with his girlfriend in a few months, and wanted a few pointers. You know, what should he see? Is it expensive? Stuff like that. I show him my blog, and tell him to check out the archives for Paris.

By now it's 9:20. David's been waiting patiently, and it's time to get to it. I knit and drool for about 5 minutes when another friend of Phil's comes upstairs to shoot the breeze, this time about a super-secret project that my peep Alison and I have got in the works for the Fall.

It's now 9:45. Poor David's really starting to think I'm neglecting him. I sit back down to confirm my utter and undying devotion to both he AND the stole. By the time the episode is over, it's 10:20, and it's time to pack it in. Before putting everything away, I decide to check my progress.

And that's when I see it.

If I had knit my 21 rows, I would have been DONE! As of right now, I've got 10 rows left. I am TOTALLY blocking this puppy this weekend! Woot!!!

As far as Fratello goes, so deeply am I ensconced in a feeling of heady, intoxicating lust for Yarnissima's gussett increases, that I've continued working on it in the metro. Yes, it's inconvenient and clumsy. But I don't care. I'm powerless before the gussett, I tell you. I can't stop. And I don't want to.
Happy Knitting everyone! I'm off to try to knit with a Boston Terrier attached to my bosom.

Purged

My sincere apologies for my little hiatus there, friends. I was sick as a DOG yesterday, I don't know what it was food, but I had bad things coming out of every part of my body, and it just kept trying to purge itself long after there was nothing left TO purge, you know? I'm leaning towards food poisoning for the time being, because Phil was also feeling a bit... perturbed, but dayum... I just felt awful.

So as you may have guessed, not much knitting got done round here. I ripped out what little I had knit of the Fratello sock yesterday and started over (you know, when I could sit up straight without my head spinning?). The wraps of the short-row heel were really showing, and it was bugging the crap out of me (Hah! Sorry, considering how I felt yesterday, that struck me as funny).

I can't say I'm a huge fan of short-row toes, but the wraps are usually easy enough to conceal when the knit side is on the right side out, but with this pattern, the purl side is right side out, which called for a bit of finagling on my part. Anyway, I'm happy with how it looks now.

Despite my being deeply smitten with this pattern, I might have to cast on for another project to take as my commute knitting. I tried knitting on this project on the metro this morning, but dudes! The pattern is 12 pages long! There are 5 charts! Even the sole of the foot has a chart! So yeah, it was a bit clumsy. I really don't want to knit another stockinette sock if I can help it, so maybe I'll cast on for a hat? So what if it doesn't get worn until the Fall, right?

The Pacific Islands stole was, for the most part, ignored this weekend. I got back to it a bit last night, but honestly I was so tired from my day of purging and purging some more that I barely knit 9 rows on it before calling it a night. Tonight, I promise. I'll work 28 rows. We'll get through it together. Just me, the stole and tonight's all-new episode of Lost.

I'll wrap things up with a picture of my finished Landscape Fire socks. I heart this colourway so much!
Happy Knitting Everyone!

What Rest?

Good evening friends, and welcome to the end of another weekend. How was it? Did you get to knit? Enjoy the nice weather? Soak up the sun?

Not me. Nope, it was week 2 of painting at casa de Dear this weekend.

Saturday afternoon, after taking the kids to my parents' house (thanks again, Mom and Michel!) and attending our first, weekly Muay Thai class with Phil's brother and his girlfriend (more on that another time), Phil and I headed over to the local paint store (again) and picked up the necessities for phase 2 of the complete makeover of our main floor.

As you can see, the old colour was sort of a medium café au lait brown, which worked well when we had carpet on the main floor. But with the hardwood flooring, we felt that everything was just too, well, brown! Brown floor, brown furniture (most of our furniture is wood), brown walls. We wanted more light and more cheerful colours in general. Enter colour 6160-41, aka Lazuli Bunting, which now covers the main walls of the living room, dining room, back wall and the entire kitchen. What do you think? You likey?

I should point out that the only reason we were able to do any painting this weekend is that the kids spent the night at their grandparents, which enabled us to put the first coat on yesterday afternoon, and the second coat on as soon as we got up this morning. Next weekend we're hoping to put the final colour on in the living room and hallway, as well as re-paint the foyer and stairwell. That should be a HOOT! *Sigh*

Hey! Wanna see something gross? Take a look at the side of my stove when we pulled it out of its alcove to paint the wall behind it!

Can you say Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww??? I guess I'm supposed to pull that out and clean there on a regular basis? 'Cause dudes, that was NASTY.

Another interesting development this weekend was the arrival of our new Boston Terrier, JB (short for Jean-Baptiste, the name he was given by his previous owners).

It's sort of unclear who's adopting whom, at this point. :)

I'd say it's still up in the air as to whether or not we'll be keeping him, but really, that'd be a lie. If the fact that I had to pull JB off Émilie's bed when I put her to bed at 8 PM didn't convince me of his being "Émilie's dog", his sneaking back up there 5 minutes later and settling himself right back on that bed with her pretty much nailed it.

Yeah, so not much knitting got done this weekend. I finished my Landscape Fire socks on Friday night (all weekend, I kept meaning to take a picture in daylight, but always thought "I'll do it later"), so rather than work on my 21 rows tonight, I decided to prepare for my next sock project. After all, I can't be without any knitting on the metro tomorrow morning, now can I?

(See the patches on the wall there? That's what we want to paint next weekend)

I'll be knitting Fratello, by Yarnissima, using Dream in Color Smooshy in the Deep Seaflower colourway (drool!). Now, Yarnissima's patterns can't be called brainless by any stretch of the imagination, but I just couldn't face another stockinette sock, you know? I needed something with a little more oomph. I worked the toe while watching the "almost last episode ever!" of Battlestar Galactica tonight, and other than the fact that I can't figure out for the life of me how to properly conceal my stitches when working a short-row toe, I can tell that we're going to be very happy together.

Before you ask Phil, I have no idea who these will ultimately be for. There are destined for the gift pile. So keep your hands OFF.

Happy Knitting Everyone! I'm off to bed.

Pot Pourri

It feels as though a big chunk of my life these days involves waiting of one kind or another. Waiting for the second half of the Pacific Islands stole to be done, waiting for the second Landscape Fire sock to be done, waiting for that big project at work to finally pick up some momentum and get off the ground, waiting for Spring... All I do is wait, wait, wait!

I was complaning with a friend on Facebook lately, and he said "Yeah, it does seem like the suck to happy ratio is a bit high lately, doesn't it?". Well put, dude.

*Sigh* Aaaanyway, hence the lack of consistent blogging. My "largest fan", aka my Dad (his words, not mine!) commented on it tonight, effectively telling me to get over it already and get to posting, because some people just couldn't handle these 4-day breaks.

So...

I completed 24 rows on the stole last night! Woot! How's THAT for exciting, huh? I've got about 12 repeats and a bit completed on the second half, with about 6 more to go. I'm already starting to dream about my next project (I'm really tempted by Colette! Pioneer, from the new Knitty, is also calling to me). Soon, my precioussss....

Oh! Here's some interesting news! Phil and I (and Émilie and Maxime, come to think of it) might be inheriting a dog! Phil's brother is looking to place his Boston Terrier in a new home, and he's just a sweetie. Not too big, very affectionate, good with kids. We're going to take him for a week and see how it goes. Hah! And Phil thinks the KIDS are ruining the hardwood floors! Bwahahahaha!!!

Oh wait, OK. HERE'S something you'll appreciate. I recently got a copy of the DVD of my choir's Christmas concerts, and after some pretty gosh darn fancy technical wizardry (at least, I was impressed), Phil managed to extract my solo performance and upload it onto YouTube. The video quality isn't the greatest, I'm afraid (we're not talking MuchMusic, people), but it's enough to give you the jist. Enjoy! (or, you know, be kind!)



Happy Knitting Everyone! I've got, you guessed it!, 21 rows to knit.

No Knitting

How was everyone's weekend? Mine absolutely flew by, as usual. But despite what you may be thinking, I don't think I'd qualify the past few days as genuine DORMA days.

First off, the weather was absolutely fabulous. Yes, I know, it's not Spring yet. I've lived here all my life, I'm perfectly cognisant of the fact that Winter will indeed rear its ugly head and bite us in the arse a few more times before it finally takes the hint and gets the Hell out of Dodge... But still, it was awfully nice to get out there, soak up the sun and just enjoy the day, you know? And since the streets were, for the most part, clear, we even let the kids take out their bikes!


This was Maxime's first time on the tricycle. He loved it, I just know there are going to be many walks with Emilie on her big girl bike and Maxime on his tric' this summer. :)

Here we have Emilie, who would scream whenever she came to a dead stop and didn't have the momentum to go forward anymore. I kept telling her to "Pump her legs!", but she seemed fairly convinced that she should either be able to a) propel the bike forward with the power of her mind or b) scream loud enough that either Phil or I would come a-runnin' and give her a push. As a matter of fact, I think Kate-the-Enabler's son Aidan gave her a push this time!

Yup, I thoroughly enjoyed Daylight Savings Time. Right up until this morning, when the alarm clock went off in the middle of the night, and the entire house was asleep. Even Maxime had trouble getting up this morning, which is just unheard of! When Phil got him out of bed, he made a bee-line for Emilie's room, arranged the blankies he sleeps with into some sort of nest thing on the floor by her bed, and promptly lay down on them and wouldn't budge for 5 minutes.

And the worst of it is, I knew exactly how he felt. I'd have slept on Emilie's floor too, I was so tired... Of course now, here it is, past 10 at night and I'm wide friggin' awake (but that always happens after choir practice).

No knitting content tonight, I'm afraid. I did manage to put in 28 rows on the Pacific Islands stole last night, after we put the second coat of paint on the accent walls downstairs (by the way, the colour isn't orange, it's called Tango Red), but all that really means is that it looks exactly the same, except it's 5 inches longer. *Sigh*

Happy Knitting Everyone! I'll see you all on the flip side...

Saturday Night...

...is alright for paintin'



Remember back in September, we put hardwood floors down on the main floor? Well, we never put the baseboards back on the walls, because we were tired of the colours on our walls and wanted to change things up a bit.

Yeah, that was over six months ago, and we haven't done anything. So this weekend we finally got our arses in gear and schlepped ourselves down to the local paint store. After much deliberation (OK, more like me saying "I like this" and Phil saying "OK"), we've selected a palette of 3 colours, and we put on the first coat of the first colour tonight, after the kids were in bed.


It looks awesome, I can't wait to see what it looks like when the contrasting colour is put down!

One thing I CAN wait to see is the look on Emilie's face when she realizes that we went ahead and painted without her tomorrow morning. It's going to be awful...

Happy Knitting Everyone! I'm going to put a few rows on my Clapotis.

Bad News

Well people, I've got some pretty devastating news to share with you all. I've suspected as much for a while now, but this weekend Kate-the-Enabler finally confirmed that she would NOT be able to go to Rhinebeck with me this year, despite the good time we had together in 2008 (at least, I thought we had a good time!).

The silly rabbit has gone and gotten herself knocked up (AGAIN!) and will be delivering round or about Labour Day of 2009 (get it??? LABOUR day)

*Sigh*

Can you believe the nerve, the gall... the sheer audacity of this woman???? Does our friendship mean NOTHING? I mean... she just up and creates a human life without consulting me, without even considering the impact it would have on my vacation plans!!! Nope! She seems to be under the impression that she and her husband get to make that decision!

Geez... I tell you. Some people are just incapable of thinking about anyone other than themselves, I guess.

Well, the upside of this is that you can bet your alpaca there's going to be some pretty intense baby knitting at casa de Dear over the coming months. I just need to wait for the ultrasound pictures, and then the selection process can begin in earnest. By the way, since Kate's already got 2 boys, we're going to need all your GIRL vibes, m'kay? Say it with me: Girl, girl, girl.

Well, now that I've got that off my chest (thanks for listening, y'all), on to knitting!

I finished the first of my Landscape Fire socks last week. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I know I haven't taken a picture yet, so here you go.


Love these socks. Yup, I sure do...

I won't bother with a picture of the slightly-longer-than-last-time stole, but I will say that I knit 28 rows last night, as opposed to "just" 21 (or 3220 stitches instead of 2415). Hah! I RULE!!!

We're leaving for Florida in 4 weeks. As far as the stole goes, I'm not worried. But there's another area that's going to need some attention in the coming weeks.

My wardrobe!!! I bought these shorts last summer. While they weren't exactly snug or anything, they're ridiculously too big for me now (I've lost 12 pounds and counting over the past 6 months, with another 6 to go to achieve my goal).

Hmmmmm.... maybe I should knit myself a teensy bikini or something?

Happy Knitting Everyone! I've got 21 rows to knit.

Random Monday

I've no idea what to say today, other than that I feel the need to say something, because it's been 3 days since I last posted and I feel guilty when it's been too long between posts.

The weekend was a blur, as usual. I went to a kickboxing class with my über-fit sister-in-law and brother-in-law on Saturday, and it was a lot of fun, despite my SIL telling me I needed to bulk up my arms a bit and trim my hips and ass, because I'm "triangular as opposed to hourglass-shaped". *Snort* Thanks babe, I really hadn't noticed until you mentioned it.

Saturday evening we went to my in-laws' house for dinner. As an appetizer, they were serving oysters, something I have a hard time stomaching. I had a bad experience the first time I tried them, they weren't well prepared and I just couldn't get the stupid thing to LET GO OF THE SHELL.

Anyhoo, I was in the living room with Maxime when they all started eating, and what should I see when I walk into the kitchen but my 4 year-old daughter Émilie, gulping those slimy-suckers down like a pro, commenting on how delicious they were and how "they taste like the sea".

Now, this is the girl who won't eat melted cheese, for crying out loud!!! I was flabbergasted. Of course, I couldn't let this tiny person upstage me, so I just HAD to eat one, right? Good example and all that New Age Crap...

I wouldn't call them my new favourite food or anything, but it wasn't as ghastly as I remembered oysters to be either. I guess I just got used to the sensation of raw food when I fell passionately in love with sushi.

Sunday morning the kids and I headed over to Kate-the-Enabler's house for a playdate. Phil was out kite-skiing (or rather trying to, there was no wind to speak of), but he joined us a bit later. It's always nice to go over there and have the kids play together. We talked about our plans for the summer and Kate's soon-to-be 4 year-old son Aidan and I plotted joint family vacations that would involve someone buying him a snorkel. The details are still somewhat shaky, but I'm confident we'll work something out.

Sunday afternoon I was able to have a nap with Émilie while Phil made a giant pot of spaghetti sauce, and in the evening I made this week's dinners (meatloaf, lasagna and a chicken casserole). Once the kids were in bed, I was able to get some knitting done, although I'm sad to say I did NOT achieve my goal of knitting 21 rows on the stole last night. I'm now about 2.5 chart repeats into the second half, with less then a month to finish and block it. It'll be fine...

Hey! Have you seen the new Twist Collective? Any favourites? I like the grant park pullover, kerouac, the necco wafer hoodie, the little liza jane onesie, Colette (I even have the yarn for this one in the stash!!!) and all the socks (but then I've got a thing for socks...). Way to go ladies!

Happy Knitting Everyone!